great aid to motivation. The information you record is up to you, but normally includes training route, speed, distance, the weather and how you felt during and after the run. Some people also note what shoes they wore, their maximum heart-rate and how

Q I have an identity crisis. As a keen runner for the last 20 years, I have recently retired, but now I just cannot find the motivation to train properly. I climb into my car rather than my running gear. When I do go out for a run, any uphill

John Buzzard was a seriously stressed man. His work involved long hours and punishing travel. He was married with three small, hyperactive children, who all demanded a lot from him when he was at home.Living in a busy London suburb, he was always battling against traffic to make ...

Go on – ask me how I’m doing in my new, saintly lifestyle. Fine – I’m doing just great. Not a drop of alcohol has passed my lips in three months, nor a single cup of coffee or tea. No harmless creature has laid down its life to feed me (apart from a handful or organic, free-range...

you love.Steve Smythe Running life: Trains every day, and occasionally twice a day. After 27 years of trying, he won an individual Kent title in 2000. Years running: 31 Running is generally a fair and honest sport. If you put the work in, train

Q My road race performances have remained at a similar standard during the past couple of years, and I feel that I’m training pretty aimlessly. How can I change my training programme to get a good result this year?A I recommend you focus on one key race, and based on that, orga...

workouts that will ultimately make you a stronger runner and faster racer. As a general rule, you need at least one easy recovery run after every hard session you do.Fast FixesTo rein yourself in on easy runs, wear a heart-rate monitor on all recovery days

This week’s questioner needs your advice on kitting himself out on a rainy day – that way, he’ll have no excuse to forego a training run on account of the weather. How do you tog yourself out if the clouds are looming?"I'm not keen on running in the rain. If it’s raining before I...

Like so many of the other firsts in my life – first school, first kiss, first child – I remember my first “runner’s high” as if it were yesterday. It came on a perfect October afternoon while I was running near a cider mill near my childhood home. A warm sun trickled through the ...

Dean Karnazes on a typically epic training runWhat is Dean Karnazes made of? When the US ultra-marathoner announced his plan to run 50 marathons through 50 American states in 50 days, people thought he was either superhuman or insane. Mainly the latter. "Mad... 50 marathons??!! H...